First Experiences

One of the fun things about life is first time experiences. We’ve all had them, and some bring a big smile to our faces while others make us cringe inside. Well, as new grandparents we are experiencing the joy of watching Brynley experience new things in her young life. This past weekend, when Tami and I got home after attending an open house, we were pleased to see Krystal, Justin, and Brynley enjoying our back yard. They thought it would be a fun day for Brynley to experience our pool for the first time. As they lowered her feet into the pool she began crying because it was a new experience she was not enjoying. I was in total agreement with Brynley because the water was way too cold for swimming. Unless it’s at mild bath tub temperature, it’s just too cold.

I knew what would do the trick and turned on the spa and heated the water to a refreshing 92 degrees. Once the water was at optimal temperature, Krystal took Brynley into the warm water and she had a blast—splashing, smiling, talking, and trying to get her mouth onto the fountain pipe. What a great first time experience. So in the span of an hour, Brynley had one first time experience that brought tears while the other brought a nice big smile.

That’s what life is for each of us. We all have experiences that bring us great joy, while we wish other experiences would just go away. As a part of our spiritual journey, the Lord will bring experiences into our lives that help us develop our faith. Some of those experiences will bring us to the place of saying, “I don’t like this!” Other experiences will bring a smile to our faces because they are so special. Both are needed in our development as believers, so don’t be fearful of first time experiences but instead be open-minded and ask the Lord: What are you wanting to teach me through this? I know I have so many things to learn, and I’m excited about first time experiences that are coming my way.